A04459:2
An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief…An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe…
An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief and plain declaration of the true religion professed and used in the same.An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true religion professed and vsed in the same.
Londini: printed by Reginald Wolfe, 1564
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To the right honourable learned and virtuous Lady A. B, M. C. wisheth from God grace, honour, and felicity.
To the right honorable learned and vertuous Ladie A. B, M. C. wisheth from God grace, honoure, and felicitie.
MADAME, ACCORDING to your request I have perused your studious labour of translation profitably employed in a right commendable work. Whereof for that it liked you to make me a Judge, and for that the thing it self hath singularly pleased my judgement, and delighted my mind in reading it, I have right heartily to thank your Ladyship, both for your own well thinking of me, and for the comfort that it hath wrought me. But far above these private respects, I am by greater causes enforced, not only to show my rejoice of this your doing, but also to testify the same by this my writing prefixed before the work, to the commodity of others, and good encouragement of your self. You have used your accustomed modesty in submitting it to judgement, but therein is your ⟨image 3⟩praise doubled, sith it hath passed judgement without reproach. And whereas both the chief author of the Latin work and I, severally perusing and conferring your whole translation, have without alteration allowed of it, I must both desire your Ladyship, and advertise the readers, to think that we have not therein given any thing to any dissembling affection towards you, as being contented to wink at faults to please you, or to make you without cause to please your self: for there be sundry respects to draw us from so doing, although we were so evil minded, as there is no cause why we should be so thought of. Your own judgement in discerning flattery, your modesty in misliking it, the laying open of our opinion to the world, the truth of our friendship towards you, the unwillingness of us both (in respect of our vocations) to have this public work not truly and well translated, are good causes to persuade, that our allowance is of sincere truth and understanding: By which your travail (Madame) you have expressed an acceptable duty to the glory of GOD, deserved well of this